Operator for bipart slideup doors



Aug. 16, 1932. R. s. PEELLE I 1,372,331

OPERATOR FOR BIPART SLIDEUP DOORS Filed April 10, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Aug. 16, 1932. s, PEELLE 1,872,331

OPERATOR FOR BIPART SLIDEUP DOORS Filed April 10, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Fig.5.

' gel: (E40 9 1 6 2 $5 I ZM/f A ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT S. PEELLE, OF HOLLIS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE PEELLE COMPANTL OF;

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK OPERATOR FOR BIPART SLIDEUP DOORS Application filed April 10,1931. Serial No. 529,264.

My invention relates to operators for bipart slideup doors, and more particularly to an electric motor driven operator includin the means of applying the power of the motor to the two sections of the door in a manner to secure the desired-'diii'erential speed of movement of the door sections durlng both their opening and their closing movements so as to have both parts or sec- 0 t-ions of the door arrive substantially simultaneously at the fully open or fully closed position.

Theconstruction and mode of operation of a bi-part slideup door must be understood to permit an appreciation of the construction and mode of operation of the operator of the invention.

A bi-part slideup door, as known to the elevator door art, consists of two sections mounted upon tracks arranged in parallel vertical planes. The upper sectioncloses the upper part of the door opening and the lower section closes the lower part of this opening. The guides for such doors are usually positioned upon the floor side of a door opening. Hence both sections are positioned at the door opening upon the floor side of the wall.

hen the door is closed, the lower section rests upon the floor of the building. When the door is open, the lower edges of both sections are in substantially the same plane at or adjacent the lintel of the opening. These doors are ordinarily used to close openings of elevator shafts where space within the shaft is not available for the mounting of doors, or where the building construction is such as to preclude the use of other types of doors.

There are two general constructions of bipart slideup doors. In both, counterweights are provided on each side of the door. In one the constructive oounterweights are supported by sprocket chains which pass over sprocket wheels upon shafts above, and at opposite sides of, the door. Carried by each shaft having sprocket wheel are two other sprocket wheels, one of which is twice the diameter of the other. Passing about the smaller sprocket wheel upon each shaft is a sprocket chain connected with the upper door section. Passing about the larger sprocket wheel 1s asprocket chain which is connected with the lower door section.

In the other construction, at each side of the door are two sheaves of the same dlameter.

A chain is provided at each side of the door structure, one dead end of each chain being connected to a fitting adjacent the sheaves, and the other dead end being connected to the lower door section. This chain has a slip or equalizing connection'with a counterweight, and from the counterweight passes abont'a sheave upon the upper door section. In this manner, force for opening or closing the door, aided by the counterweights, willupper section ofthe door, the power of the electric motor being supplemented by a single counterweight to which the flexible connections or chains for applying the power of the motor to the door are fixedly connected.

In the operator of the invention, the arrangement of the flexible connections or chains, in relation to the operator and the counterweight and to the two door sections, is not onlysuch as to ensure the distribution of the stresses developed by the motor and the power member actuated thereby upon both sides of the door, but that differential speed of the two door sections essential to anunvarying load upon the motor and a desired speed of operation of'the door. 7

In carrying out the invention, I employ what may be termed a three-chain system, two

of the chainsof which are operative only as to the lower section, and the third chain of which is operative only as to the upper section. The construction of the operator is also such that the entire running gear is so positioned as to avoid possibility of tampering therewith, the various parts being so positioned and so formed that possibility of such disarrangement thereof as will interfere with the operation of the door is reduced to a minimum.

Furthermore, the manner of applying the power to the upper door section is such as to permit the various mechanisms to be applied to the top edge of the door, thus avoid ing the weakening of the door structure proper at the point of application of power thereto, as well as the difliculties and expense of embodying these mechanisms in the door proper.

In an operator of. the invention, the various parts are so. constructed as to avoid the necessity for the making of any changes in the. guide structure, it being possible to apply the operator to doors which are already installed by' merely changing the supporting chains andv slightly increasing the weight of One of the'counterweights, the other counterweights. being entirely dispensed with. In so applying an operator of the invention, it would alsobe necessary to remove the sprocket wheels or sheaves commonly used in such doors, and replace them with the sheave and dead end stop fittings, to be hereinafter referred to.

A still further object is to provide an operator of the type herein referred to, the construction and arrangement of parts ofwhich is such as to permit the manual operation of the door in the event of failure of the motor power, thus avoiding all those delays and inconveniences which would result from inability to open or close the door in such an emergency.

The invention consists primarily in an op erator for bi-part slideup doors embodying therein a power sheave adjacent one side of the door, a guide sheave ad acent the other riled by the upper door section and said power sheave and connected with said counterweight, an electric motor, gearing connecting said motor with said. power sheave, an electric source supplying power to said motor, anda pole changing switch mechanism-controlling the power from. said source; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts asare hereinafterset forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertically and laterally condensed view in elevation of a bi-part slideup door, and an operator applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1 showing the wall in section;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the motor,the power sheave and a portion of the chains adjacent the power sheave; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic showing of the electrical conditions in the operator.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views. 7

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the upper door section is shown at 10 and the lower door section at 11.

tion, so that a detailed description thereof is unnecessary, beyond that such structures include parallel guides along which the sections 10 and 11 respectively have movement in the same direction. The movement of said sections is simultaneous, but the lower section is required to travel at twice the speed of the upper section, so that both sections will come to rest with their loweredges in substantially the same plane adjacent the lintel of the door opening when the door is open, and during the closing: movement, the upper section will come to rest with its lower edge at substantially the middle of the height of the door opening at substantially the same time that the lower section comes to rest at the sill of the door opening. Y

In the drawings, the sill of the door opening is indicated at 13, the lintel of the door opening at 14, and the side j ambs of the door opening at 15. The guide rail structures 12 are connected to the wall 16 adjacent each jamb 15.

Carried by the guide rail structure adja- 7 cent one jamb is a power sheave 17, and car- -ried by the lower door section 11 adjacent the top thereof, to which fitting the chain is permanently connected. A second chain 22 is also connected with the counterweight 20 and passes therefrom about the power sheave 17 and the guide sheave 18, the end thereof being permanently connected to a fitting adacent the top of the lower door section 11 The guide rail structure 12 is of the- .usual, or may be of any desired, construcupon the opposite side of said section to that at which the chain 21 is connected.

Mounted upon one guide rail structure 12 Y adjacent the guide sheave 18 is a dead end fitting 23. Carried by the top of the upper door section 10 adjacent the opposite edges thereof are guide sheaves 24 and 25. Se-

cured to the dead end fitting 23 is a third chain 26 which passes downwardly from this fitting about the guide sheaves 24 and 25 and upwardly and about the power sheave 17 to the counterweight 20 to which this chain is also connected.

It will be noted that there are three power transmitting chains in the operator of the invention, the chains 21 and 22 being connected to the counterweight 20 and to the lower door section, while the chain 26 is connected to the counterweight 20 and applies power I the lower door section, by reason of the dead end of the chain 26 being connected to the fitting 23. It will be noted that the chain 26 between the sheaves 24 and 25 is positioned closely adjacent the top of the upper door section, the width of this section being such that this chain is protected by the top of the section 10, being in fact almost concealed from view even when the door is in the closed position.

The power sheave 17 is mounted in a housing 27 mounted upon one guide rail structure. Also mounted within this housing is a small polyphase inductive motor 28, thearmature of which has a small pinion 29 enmeshed with a spur gear 30 forming one of the shrouds of the power sheave 17. This construction not only protects the working parts of the power unit from accumulated dust and dirt, but avoids possibility of a disarrangementcof parts in the unit which might interfere with a proper continued operation of the unit.

Only one power unit is used in the operator since the type of motor used is capable of operating at low speeds with a high torque. It is of a special construction, however, which is adapted only for a short run of the motor, which at the most never 8X- tends over a. period of more than a few seconds.

The guide rail structure adjacent the housing 27 is cut away to permit the projection of the power sheave through this structure so as to allow a clear field for the run of the chains 21, 22 and 26 between the sheave and the door sections. The housing 27 also acts as an outlet box, being provided with suitable outlet openings .to permit the running of the electric lines from the source to the motor. I

The sheaves 24 and 25 are each mounted between a plate 31 securely bolted through the panel of the upper door section and the angle metal frame of this section, and an angle plate 32 securely bolted to the top bar of the frame of the upper door section.

Bi-part slideup doors are generally used for closing the lowermost opening of an elevator shaft, and the usual practice is to control the application of power for opening and closing such doors by a switch mechanism located within the car. The location of this switch mechanism, however, is im- -tatecl in the desired direction to effect either the opening orthe closing of the door. In other words, the motor 28 is a reversible motor, and an opening and a closing switch mechanism is used in order to impress a current of the desired polarity upon the motor.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one arrangement of wiring which may be used with the operator, but I do not wish it understood that this particular meth od is essential to the invention.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings the circuit to the motor 28 is controlled by a switch 33 actuated by a cam 34 on the car. This is used merely to prevent the opening of the door unless the elevator car carrying the cam 34 is at the opening. If the door be used otherwise than in connection with an elevator shaft, this switch is not required.

The lines of the three-phase source are indicated at 35, 36 and 37. These lines communicate by the branch lines 38, 39 and 40 with the fixed contacts 41, 42 and 43 ofa magnetic switch having movable contacts 44, 45 and 46 actuated by means of a magnet 47 and acted upon by a spring 48 having a .normal tendency to open the switch.

One terminal of the winding of the magnet 47 is connected by a lead 49 with the 1 branch line 38 and the line 35 from the source through the lead 50. The other terminal of said winding is. connected by the lead 51 with one terminal of a limit switch 52, the other terminalof which is connected by the line 53 with one terminal of an opening switch54 which may be carried by an elevator car, or otherwise located, as desired. The other terminal of this opening switch is connected by the lead 55 with the branch line 40 and the line 37 from' the source.

The movable contacts 44, 45 and 46 are connected to shaft service lines 56, 57 and 58, which may serve a number of doors in the shaft as well as that shown in the drawings. The shaft line 58 is in direct electrical connection with one terminal of the motor 28 by the branch line 59. The shaft switch 33 has two sets of contacts, one set 60 having one terminal thereof connected with the line 56 by the lead61, and the. other terminal thereof connected by the line 62 with another terminal of the motor. The other set of contacts 63 of said switch 33 has one terminal i '70 and 71 are actuated by a magnet 7 5, one

"terminal of'the winding of'which is con- 'nected by the lcad 76 with one terminal of a closing switch 77, the other terminal of which wind ng is connected wlth the lme 50. The movable contacts 69, 70 and 71 are acted upon by a. spring 78 having a normal tend ency to open said closing switch.

In the diagram shown, the switches 54 and 77 are constant pressure switches requiring the person. using the switches to maintain the pressure upon the switch until the desired movement of the door has been completed. The limit switch 52 is used so as to cause the automatic interruption of the circuit to the motor when the opening movement is completed, thus preventing a continued application of power to the motor after the door has been fully opened. Ordinarily, the moving inertia of the door sections and of the counterweight will permit the interruption of the circuit prior to the full door movement. This condition may be relied upon'when closing the door, and in fact, if desired, the final closing movement may be by hand. In opening the door, however, it is preferable. to rely upon the limit switch.

The upper door section is provided with a cam 7 9 adapted to engage the movable member of the limit switch 52 wnen the door has reached its full opening movement.

The operation of .a bi-part slideup elevator door equipped with an operator of theinvention is substantially as follows Referring in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the electrical conditions are those eXistant when the door is in the fully closed position. As suming'that the door is used closing an opening'in an elevator shaft, the relation of parts would indicatethat the elevator car is descending toward the opening closed by the door. p

As the car reaches the opening, with its platform in substantially the plane of the sill 14, the shoe 34 acts to close the switchmechanism 33 and thus connect the service lines 56,

57 and 58 with the terminals of the motor 28 through the branch lines 59, 62 and 65. When the switch has thus been closed, power may be applied to the doorfor either opening or closing same, since the electrical conditions established by the shoe 34 continue so long as an elevator car remains at the floor adjacent which is the switch 33.

The car attendant, when it is desired to From line 37, through lead lines 40 and 55,

to the switch 54, and from said switch through the lead line 53, the limit switch 52 and lead line 51 to the winding of the magnet 47 and from said magnet through the lead lines 49 and 50 to the branch line 38 and the.

the lines 35, 36 and 37 of the source to the.

service lines 56, 57 and 58, and thence to the terminals of the motor 28.

The motor will continue to operate until the shoe 79, by engagement with the limit switch 52-, interrupts the circuit including.

the magnet 47, the de-energization of which willpermit the spring 48 to actuate the movable contacts to open the opening switch and thus interrupt the flow of current to the respective service lines 56, 57 and 58.

This will occur whether or not the pressure upon the push button of the switch 54 is continued beyond the time required for the full opening movement of the door.

hen it is desired to close the door, the.

switch 77 is actuated, thus closing the circuit from the line 37 from the source through the lead line 51 to one terminal of the closing switch, from the other terminal of this switch through theline 76 to the winding of the magnet 75, and from the other terminal of this winding through the lead 55 to the branch line 38 from the line 35 of the source. As the magnet is energized, the movable contacts 69, 70 and 71 are actuated to close the closing circuit, thus impressing upon the service lines 56, 57 and.58 current from the lines 36, 35

' and 37 through the leads 73, 72 and 74.

It will be noted that this reverses the polarity of two of the lines running to the motor 28 and will thus cause the rotation of the motor in the reverse direction. The door will continue to moveso long. as the switch 77 is held closed, but as heretofore stated, in closing the door sections they will gather sutficient momentum to permit the opening of the switch 77 prior to the complete closing movement. Since no damage can be done when the door is fully closed, no limit switch need be used.

When power is applied to the motor for ioo opening the door, in the manner above described, the power sheave 17 is turned clockwise, as shown in Fig. 1, thus simultaneously taking up the chains 21, 22 and 26 which pass side by side about the sheave 17 which has a smooth periphery. At the same time, the length of the chains taken up will be paid out toward the counterweight 20. lhe'load of the counterweight upon one side of the sheave 17, and the load of the door sections upon the other side thereof permit the elevation of both sections of the door by the application of very little power to the sheave. In fact a motor having only one-sixth H. P. is adequate to actuate doors weighing between one thousand and two thousand pounds, there being little or no tendencytoward slippage between the chains and the power sheave.

As the doors reach the limit of their opening position, the shoe 79, by contact with the movable member of the limit switch 52, interrupts the circuit to the motor, immediately stopping the application of power to the doors.

By the arrangement of the guide sheaves 24 and 25 the chain 26 and the connection of this chain with the dead end fitting 23, the run of the chain 26 in relation to the power. sheave is the same as that of the chains 21 and 22, but the movement of the section 10 is only at one-half the speed of that of the lower section 11. Since the two door sections 10 and 11 reach the limit of their opening movement substantially simultaneously, it is immaterial upon which section the cam 79 is mounted since it will be operative at substantially the same instant, irrespective of which door section carries it.

During the closing movement of the door, the action of the power sheave is thereverse of that heretofore described. By its contracloclrwise' movement the sheave takes up the chains 21, 22 and 26 between it and the counterweight 20, and pays out this chain upon the door side of the guide structure, the counterweight being raised as a result of this action. The chains 21, 22 and 26 will have the same length paid out toward the door section, but owing to the pulley of the second class effect secured, the downward movement of the upper door section will be at only onehalf the speed of the downward movement of the lower section.

It will be noted that the limit'switch is arranged in the circuit including the opening switch only, so that when a door is fully open the electrical conditions are always such as to permit the application of closing power to the motor by means of the switch 77.

During both the opening and the closing of the door there is a run of the chain between the guide sheaves 24 and 25, but this reach of chain is very close to the top bar of the upper door section, being almost in rubbing contact therewith. v i

The weight of the upper door section will always prevent a creation of such slack 'in the chain 26 as would permit its overrunning the sheaves 2-4 and 25. The upper door section is suspended from the single chain 26.

The operation of my invention ensures a smooth, quiet movement of both door sections by a very simple arrangement of parts.

A motor developing very low power may be used,'the total dimensions of the housing 27 v operation of the door at any time, since the a power sheave 17 is geared directly to the armature of themotor 28, which armature is free to turn with the sheave when no 6 power is applied to the motor. Hence, in the event of failure of the power, the door may be opened or closed by hand as freely as though no operating motor were connected therewith. This is a highly desirable char- 'acteristic.

It is not my intention to limit the inven tion to any particular wiring arrangement since this may be varied at will to meet varying electrical conditions.

Itis also apparent that the details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings may be varied withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

1. An operator for bi-part slideup doors embodying therein a power sheave adjacent one-side of the door, a guide sheave adjacent the other side of the door, a counterweight, a chain connected with said counterweight and passing about said power sheave to one side of the lower section of a door, a second chain connected with said counterweight and passing about said power sheave and. said guide sheave to the other side of the lower section of a door, sheaves secured adjacent the top and at opposite sides of an upper door section, a dead end fitting. a third chain passing from. said dead end fitting about said sheaves carried by the upper door section and said power sheave and connected with said counterweight. an electric motor, gearing connecting said motor W'lth said power sheave, an electric source supplying power to said motor, and a pole changing switch mechanism controlling the power from said source. V

2. An operator for bi-part slideup door embodying therein a. guide rail structure upon each side of a door opening, a housing mounted upon one of said guide rail structures, a power sheave mounted in said housing, a guide sheave carried by the other guide rail structure, a counterweight, a chain connected withsaid counterweight and passing about said power sheave to one side of the lower section of thedoor, a second chain con- ,nected with said counterweight and passing about said power sheave and said guide sheave to the other side of the lower section of the door, sheaves secured adjacent the;

and connected with said counterweight, an

electric motor within said housing, gear1ng connecting said motor with said power sheave, an electric source supplyingpower to said motor, and a pole changing switch mechanism controlling the power from said source.

'3. An operator for bi-part slideup doors embodying therein a power sheave adjacent one side of the door, a guide sheave adjacent a the other side of the door, a counterweight, a

chain connected with said counterweight and passing about said power sheave to one side of the lower section of a door, a second chain iing from said dead end fitting about said sheaves carried by the upper door section and said power sheave and connected with said counterweight, an electric motor, gearing connecting said motor with said power sheave, an electric source supplying power to said motor, a pole changing switch mechanism controlling the power from said source, a normally closed limit switch having a movable contact arranged in the circuit to said pole changing switch mechanism, and a shoe carried by one of said door sections co-operating with said movable contact of said limit switch so positioned as to interrupt the circuit to said pole changing switch mechanism during the opening movement of said door. v v

4 An operator for bi-part slideup doors embodying therein a guide rail structure upon each side of a door opening a housing a mounted upon one of said guide rail structures, a power sheave mounted in said housing, a guide sheave carried by the other guide 7 and at the opposite sides of the upper door a section, a dead end fitting carried by the guide rall structures carrying said gulde sheave, a third chain passing from said dead end fittingahout said sheaves carried by the upper door section and said power sheave, and connected, with said counterweight, an

electric motor within said housing, gearing connecting said motor with said power sheave, an electric source supplying power to said motor, a pole changing switch mechanism controlling the power from said source, a normally closed limit switch having a movable contact arranged in the circuit to said pole changing switch mechanism, and a shoe carried by one or said door sections cooperating with movable contact of said limit switc i so positioned as to interrupt the circuit to said pole changing switch mechanism duringthe opening movement or said door.

5. An operator for bi-part slideup doors embodying therein a power sheave adjacent one side of the door, a guide sheave adjacent the other side of the door, a counterweight, a chain connected with said counterweight and passing about said power sheave to one side of the lower section of a door, a second chain connected with said counterweight and passing about said power sheave and said guide sheave to the other side oi? the lower section of a door, sheaves secured adjacent the top and at opposite sides of an upper door section, a dead end fitting, a third chain passing from said dead end fitting about said sheaves carried by the upper door section and said power sheave and connected with said counterweight, an electric motor, gearing connecting said motor with said power sheave, an electric source supplying power to said motor, a pole changing switch mechanism controlling the power from said source, including a normally open magnetic switch in the circuitfrom said electric source, arcircuit from said source includ ing the magnet of saidswitch, a manually operative switch in said last named circuit, a normally closed limit switch having a movable contact arranged in the circuit to said pole changing switch mechanism, and a shoe carried by one of said door sections co-operating with said movable contact or said limit switch so positioned as to interrupt the circuit to said pole changing switch mechanism during the opening movement of said door.

6. An operator for bi-part slideup doors embodying therein a guide rail structure upon each side of a door opening, a housing mounted upon one of said. guide rail structures, a power sheave mounted in said housing, a guide sheave carried by the other guide rail structure, a counterweight, a chain connected with said counterweight and passing about said power sheave to one side of the lower section of the door, a second chain connected with said counterwei ht and pass ing about said power sheave and said guide sheave to the other side of the lower section of the door, sheaves secured adjacent the top and at the opposite sides of the upper door section, a. dead end fitting carried by the guide rail structures carrying said guide sheave, a third chain passing from said dead end fitting about said sheaves carried by the upper door section and said power sheave, and connected with said counterweight, an electric motor within said housing, gearing connecting said motor with said power sheave, an electric source supplying power to said motor, a pole changing switch mechanism controlling the power from said source, including a normally open magnetic switch in the circuit from said electric source, acircuit from said source including the magnet of said switch, a manually operative switch in said last named circui normally closed limit switch having a movable contact arranged in the circuit to said pole changing switch mechanism, and a shoe carried by one of said door sections co-opcrating with said movable contact of said limit switch so positioned as to interrupt the circuit to said pole changing switch mechanism during the opening movement of said door.

7 An operator for bi-part slideup doors embodying therein a power sheave adjacent one side of the door, a guide sheave adjacent the other side of the door, a counterweight, a chain connected with said counterweight and passing about said power sheave to one side of the lower section of a door, a second chain connected with said counterweight and passing about said power sheave and said guide sheave to the other side of the lower section of a door, sheaves secured adjacent the top and at opposite sides of an upper door section, a dead end fitting, a third chain passing from said dead end fitting about said sheaves carried by the upper door section and said power sheave and connected with said counterweight, an electric motor, gearing connecting said motor with said power sheave, an electric source, service lines ext-ending from said source to adjacent said motor, branch lines from said service lines to said motor, a normally open switch mechanism arranged in said branch lines and adapted to be operated by a shoe upon an elevator car, and a pole changing switch mechanism controlling the power from said source. 7

8. An operator for bi-part slideup doors embodying therein a guide rail structure upon each side of a door opening, a housing mounted upon one of said guide rail structures, a power sheave mounted in said housing, a guide sheave carried by the other guide rail structure, a counterweight, a chain connected with said counterweight and passing about said power sheave to one side of the lower section of the door, a second chain connected with said counterweight and passing about said power sheave and said guide sheave to the other side of the lower section of the door, sheaves secured adj acentthe top and at the opposite sides of the upper door section, a dead end fitting carried by the guide rail structures carrying said guide sheave, a third chain passing from said dead end fitting about said sheaves carried by the upper door section and said power sheave, and connected with said counterweight, an electric motor within said housing, gearing connecting said motor with said power sheave, an electric source, service lines ex-} tending from said source to adjacent said motor, branch lines from said service lines to said motor, a normally open switch mechanism arranged in said branch lines and adapted to be operated by a shoe upon an elevator car, a pole changing switch mechnism controlling the power from said source. including a normally open magnetic switch in the circuit from said electric source, a circuit from said source including the magnet of said switch, a manually operative switch in said last named circuit, a normally closed limit switch having a movable contact arranged in the circuit to said pole changing switch mechanism, and a shoe carried by one of said door sections co-operating with said movable contact of said limit switch so positioned as to interrupt the circuit to said pole changing switch mechanism during the opening movement of said door.

In witness whereof I have hereunto alfixed my signature this 7th day of April, 1931 ROBERT S. PEELLE. 

